Resources

Asian ingredients and techniques are especially well suited to fast cooking, as you'll discover in this beautifully photographed volume. One of the newest additions to Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast series, Asian features more than 40 recipes that allow you to prepare flavorful meals without spending hours in the kitchen.

From sizzling stir-fries and fragrant curries to warming soups, each dish has been streamlined for the busy home cook. Recipes rely on straightforward cooking techniques and a few fresh ingredients, deriving their delicious character from inventive combinations of spices or other seasonings. Most can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, from start to finish. Others require only 15 minutes of hands-on preparation, then are left to simmer on the stove or bake in the oven. You can serve most as one-dish suppers, accompanied by only steamed rice or noodles.

Asian braises are wholesome and satisfying, the epitome of comfort food. Celebrating the rich culinary traditions of India, chunks of lamb shoulder are gently simmered with aromatic spices. Chicken becomes meltingly tender when braised with ginger, rice wine and soy sauce; it is served with tender bok choy and finished with an irresistible honey-sesame glaze.

To spice up weeknight meals, treat the family to stir-fried pork loin brightened with the lively flavors of lemongrass and citrus. For a delectable meatless entrée, try tofu and green peas cloaked in a spicy soy-ginger sauce.

For a special dinner, prepare miso-glazed sea scallops served atop a colorful slaw of napa cabbage and carrots. Or delight guests with traditional Japanese sukiyaki featuring thinly sliced beef sirloin and tender shiitake mushrooms in a delicate sake-perfumed broth.

The book concludes with sections on smart cooking and strategic shopping, including tips for organizing your time, stocking your kitchen and creating menus that showcase fresh seasonal produce. You'll also find helpful guides to Asian ingredients, culinary techniques and equipment. Perfect for creative cooks with demanding schedules, this book makes it fun and easy to bring home the enticing flavors of Asia.